XII INTER-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
OF MINISTERS OF LABOR
17-19 October, 2001
Ottawa, Canada
OEA/Ser.K/XII.12.1
TRABAJO/doc.66/01
19 October 2001
Original: English
REMARKS BY SENATOR THE HONORABLE LAWRENCE A. JOSEPH,
MINISTER OF LABOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF GRENADA
UPDATE ON INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS LEGISLATION IN GRENADA
Grenada is a small tri-island state comprising the islands of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit
Martinique. It has a population of over 100,000 people.
Grenada’s main economic activities are: agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and light
manufacturing. The main agricultural products are: nutmegs and mace, cocoa, and bananas.
The employed population comprising approximately 35,000 people is spread over many
other areas of economic activities including, construction, telemarketing, banking, and other service
oriented occupations.
Many of those workers are unionised by way of some eight major trade unions in the
country.
Generally the core labour standards are recognized in the ILO’s 1998 Declaration on
Fundamental Principles and rights at work, and its follow-up are adhered to in relation to industrial
relations practices in the state.
A Labour Code comprising two Acts of Parliament namely “the Labour Relations Act” and
“the Employment Act,” was enacting in 1999, and made effective in April 2000.
After over twelve years of consultations among the social partners, the Labour Code was
finally pushed to fruition with the able assistance of the ILO Caribbean Office, whose efforts
generally enhanced the process. Grenada can now boast of having one of the most modern bits of
legislation which deals with labour relations.
The Labour code guarantees the right of every employee to take part in the formation of a
trade union or federation; to be a member of any trade union federation; to take part in lawful trade
union activities, to hold office in any trade union or federation and to exercise any right conferred or
recognised by the Code and assist any employee, shop steward, safety representative, or trade union
to exercise such rights.
It is an offence for anyone to inhibit or attempt to inhibit those rights, and anyone found
liable will be subject to a fine or imprisonment.
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Set procedures are laid down in the Code for the recognition of trade union as exclusive
bargaining agents for workers in particular bargaining units.
Once trade unions are so recognised, then they have exclusive authority to bargain
collectively on behalf of the employees in the bargaining unit and to bind them by collective
agreement so long as such recognition remains in force.
The area of disputes procedures are in the process of being revisited for the purpose of
giving further clarification in order to enhance the process. Amendments to the Labour Relations
Act are now being contemplated.
With regard to fundamental rights of the employee, the Labour Code prohibits any
requirement for anyone to perform forced labour; it prohibits discrimination against any employee on
the grounds of race, colour, national extraction, social origin, religion, political opinion, sex, marital
status, family responsibilities, age or disability in respect of recruitment, training, promotion, terms
and conditions of employment, or other matters arising out of employment relationship.
The Code guarantees equal remuneration to male and female employees for work of equal
value.
There is a strict prohibition on child labour with the cut off age being sixteen years.
However, the Code makes allowance for children doing holiday jobs, work done by children in
technical schools, on the job training or work experience exercises, work done on school-ships or
training ships, provided that such work is approved and supervised by public authority.
The Labour Code also makes provision for the functioning of a Labour Advisory Board
comprising equal number of representatives form trade unions, employers’ organizations and
government.
This Board is responsible for advising the Minister of Labour on all labour matters including
the following:
a.
the formulation and implementation of national policies on basic conditions of
employment and health, environment and safety and welfare at work;
b.
the promotion of collective bargaining;
c.
proposals for the adoption and amendment of legislation and
d.
the review of the operation and enforcement of the Labour Code.
In general, industrial relations practices in the state of Grenada are satisfactory, but there is
always room for improvement.
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Participation in this XII Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour being held in
Ottawa, Canada can only redound to the further enhancement of industrial relations practices in our
state.
Much appreciation is expressed.
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